Nocatee one of the best selling communities in the nation

New home sales in Nocatee saw a 21 percent increase in mid-year sales over last year, making it the third best-selling master-planned community in the nation, according to real estate advisory firm RCLCO.

Nocatee was the only top-five community to post a sales increase from 2013, selling 505 homes during the first half of the year.

The rankings were compiled in the RCLCO’s Mid-Year 2014 Update, a survey of total home sales in the first six months of 2014 at the nation’s top-selling master-planned communities.

The announcement follows Nocatee’s strong performance in 2013, when it sold 838 homes — a 65 percent increase over 2012.

First-time home buyers move there because they want to live the lifestyle, PARC Group CEO Rick Ray said.

“The popularity of the Nocatee lifestyle just keeps growing,” Ray said. “Home buyers love the Ponte Vedra location, the amenities and sense of community in Nocatee. We have nine new neighborhoods and a variety of new amenities slated to open this year to keep up with the demand.”

Ray said it also helps that the majority of the new community lies in St. Johns County, which has the No.1 ranked school district in the state.

RCLCO also noted that developers across the nation said that stronger-than-expected sales in 2013 resulted in reduced lot inventories, causing a slower sales pace in 2014. For example, two of the top master-planned communities had sales decreases of 15 percent and 8 percent, respectively.